Texas university to cancel cultural graduations in light of new law
University of Texas at Austin (UTA) announced that they are canceling cultural graduations due to the Lone Star State’s recent law banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices.
UTA sent an email last week saying that they will cease funding cultural graduation ceremonies, according to The Daily Texan.
Senate Bill 17, which went into effect this month, affects DEI offices and programs at public colleges and universities across the state.
Their decision came after the university’s Multicultural Engagement Center (MEC) was closed in compliance with the state’s law shutting down DEI offices. The closure of the Multicultural Engagement Center impacted their Black Graduation, Latinx Graduation, and GraduAsian ceremonies.
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University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
"The MEC’s closure will also impact welcome programs including the CultivAsian, Bloq Party, New Black Student Weekend, Adelante, Four Directions, and Leadership Institutes," The Daily Texan reported.
The Daily Texan reported further that the "MEC is ‘working diligently to find an alternative home’ for the graduations."
"Because you have been able to come into the space and see many of the staff, I understand that it likely feels that we are operating at status quo, but please make no mistake, while our doors remain open (for now, at least), our programs do not," an email acquired by the Daily Texan states in their report.
Furthermore, a sophomore at UTA told The Daily Texan that the Black Graduation was a reason she attended the school. Although students could put on their own Black Graduation, it would seem less "official" if the university did not recognize it.
University of Texas at Austin (UTA) announced that they are canceling cultural graduations due to the Lone Star State’s recent law banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices. (iStock)
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Senate Bill 17 was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2023, mandating all governing boards of public colleges and universities to ensure that their institutions prohibit the establishment and maintenance of a DEI office and the issue "DEI statements."
Hiring practices and training are no longer able to use DEI statements.
Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2023 signed Senate Bill 17 mandating all governing boards of public colleges and universities to ensure that their institutions prohibit the establishment and maintenance of a DEI office and issue "DEI statements." (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
UT Austin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
More efforts to crackdown on DEI in Texas are underway.
Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, introduced a bill to freeze federal funding to colleges and universities that force students to sign or make statements on DEI.
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Crenshaw's bill aims to ban universities from compelling students, staff, or applicants to "endorse an ideology that promotes the differential treatment of an individual or group of individuals based on race, color, or ethnicity."
Across the country, 40 bills have been introduced in 22 states aimed at limiting DEI initiatives as of July 2023, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
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